About the Event
Curious about the directions AI is taking and how it might be changing society? Join us in The Bindery where James Muldoon will take us through Love Machines, his study of how relationships are being transformed by this newest phase of technological revolution. Muldoon will examine how AI chatbots are becoming friends and romantic partners for some and whether they will replace human connections as as well as the technological and financial drivers behind their proliferation. James Muldoon will be introduced by Commissioning Editor, Non-Fiction, Mo Hafeez.
This event is also being live-streamed. See here for online tickets.
Love Machines
Friends. Lovers. Therapists. ‘Deathbots’. AI is taking on unprecedented roles for millions of us every day – but how are these new ‘relationships’ rewiring us?
Beyond those who are using chatbots for everyday tasks, many are turning to them as mentors and sexual partners. Some are men who are preparing to adopt children with their AI partners; others are reaching out to companies offering ‘deathbot’ services based on a deceased loved one’s text messages and voicemails; others still look to therapy bots to find treatment for their mental health issues.
In Love Machines, James Muldoon examines these new forms of love, intimacy and connection, drawing on myriad interviews with users and developers from around the world – as well as psychologists, academics and chatbots themselves. As he navigates these interactions, Muldoon reveals how the unregulated corporations facilitating them are seeking to profit from an emerging ‘loneliness economy’.
As the line between the digital and the real becomes increasingly blurred, and in a world that feels lonelier by the day, Love Machines is a timely survey of the next generation of human-computer relationships – and how they are not only changing our relationship with technology, but with each other.
‘AI began at our desks, drafting emails . . . Now we whisper secrets to it.’
What to Expect
- This event is taking place at Faber’s premises at The Bindery, 51 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8HN.
- Please note that tickets must be booked in advance - we are not able to sell tickets on the door.
- Age guidance: this event is suitable for ages 16+.
- The nearest underground stations are Chancery Lane Station (Central line) and Farringdon Station (Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines).
- Doors will open at 6.30 p.m.
- Ticket price includes a glass of wine or a soft drink.
- There will be a bookshop open with copies of Love Machines, available by card payment only. James Muldoon will be signing books.
- A concessionary rate of £5 off tickets is available for anyone who is a student, unemployed, low-waged, low-pensioned or who considers the cost of the event a barrier to attending. Use code Concession5 in the promo box in the checkout.
- The Bindery is fully accessible, but if you have any building access requirements please let us know in advance by emailing [email protected], so we can assist you.
- Ticket buyers requiring assistance at the event can get a free ticket for a carer by emailing [email protected]
- Please note that we film our events for archive purposes and sometimes to share online. Our camera records the stage and may record the backs of heads of people sitting in the front row
- This is a ticketless event - there will be a guest list with your name and the number of tickets you have bought.
About the Author
James Muldoon is a Reader in Management at the Essex Business School and a Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute. He is the author of five books, including co-authoring Feeding the Machine: The Hidden Human Labour Powering AI. His work has appeared in the Guardian, TIME, BBC and other platforms.
About the Author
Buy Now
A captivating and uncanny journey to the frontier of human-computer interaction, exploring what happens to our relationships with each other as artificial intelligence enters our personal lives.